a very kolachki merry christmas

i can feel my grandma millie smiling down at me.  i made her famous kolachki yesterday and surprisingly rocked it. i have been horsing around with jamie oliver's 15 days of xmas instagram contest: #jamieschristmashp.  yesterday's challenge was to make mince pies... so i made mince pie::kolachki's... errrrrrrrrr close enough, right?:)

i altered her recipe to be gluten free and casein/lactose free.  we have not completely banned dairy, we simply limit it as mac was highly allergic to milk as a baby and everyone feels better with just little bits here and there.  we're getting along fabulously with plain sheep's yogurt, ghee and sheep/goat's milk cheese.  i do keep some high quality, grass fed butter in the house for certain things that just.need.real.butter.  why more ghee than butter in the mullies?  i personally like ghee for it's higher smoking point and lack of casein and lactose.

my mom and dad stopped in this morning and tried my kolachki.  i knew i nailed it when my mom wanted seconds and my dad sighed, put his head down and said,

"oh lindsey, these taste just like my mom's".  sniff sniff.

this recipe was tweaked thanks to the help of peter & kelli bronski's kolachki recipe.  i was super nervous about combining the dairy free cream cheese & ghee in this sacred prezell family recipe.  i am so glad i got some gumption and went for it!  heck, if it wasn't for this instagram contest, i probably wouldn't have even made them.  thanks j-dog, contests always help me put my game-face on - it must be the jock in me:)

oh grandma, i miss you and grandpa so much.  i haven't attempted these darlings since she taught me how to make them with her in 1999.  i do hope to make you proud - the mullies kitchen was built in honor of you both and the 40+ years you lived here before us on.the.lake.

mullie & millie's apricot kolachki

1 c organic ghee (it's already soft since you can leave it in your pantry)
8 oz of daiya brand plain cream cheese style spread
2.5 c (313 g) gf flour blend
2 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
organic powdered sugar
apricot preserves (i also remember her making these with raspberry, cream cheese and poppyseed fillings)

preheat oven to 350 degrees.  cream the ghee and cream cheese spread together in a stand mixer until light and fluffy.  in a separate bowl, mix the flour, xanthan gum and salt.  add the flour mixture gradually to the butter/cheese mixture. wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour to firm up.  generously dust your surface with powdered sugar and roll out to your desired thickness (i put plastic wrap over the top so the dough doesn't stick to the rolling pin).  i used a small juice glass to make circles and then cut out triangles for the tops.  be creative and make them look fancy pancy!  bake for 15 minutes or until the edges start to brown ever so slightly.

i like to eat mine with a lovely latte.  how will you eat yours?

merry merry christmas to you my dear mullie reader!!!

may rudolf's shiny nose find his way into your cozy home - now you have a very special cookie to leave him & santa baby:)

now i'm off to a most "fashionable" ugly xmas sweater party...  thanks for letting me borrow your sweet "jumper" jenn!!

xoxo